don't know what to get the person who has everything? mom won't tell you what she wants? best friend never likes anything you give her? want to do something different for the boyfriend? we've all been there. gift giving, when done right, can bring you SO MUCH happiness. seeing the people you love have a happy look on their face when you worked hard to put it there is such a heartwarming feeling. ok, to be honest, the real inspiration for this article was danielle telling me she wanted her boyfriend to buy her something i wrote about in my blog. here are some ideas to make your loved ones smile...

1. pick an adventure from their bucket list and make it happen. a hot air balloon ride, skydiving, or bungee jumpinggift certificate would be a special, most likely once-in-a-lifetime experience that you could share together. a gift like this shows them that you care about their goals and dreams.

2. have a celebrity autograph something. if there's an athlete they love, have them sign a ball. if there's a musician they love, have them sign an album. if there's an author they love, have them sign a book. find some kind of connection, a charity auction, or contact information and figure it out. gifts like these mean a lot to people because it shows that you pay attention to their interests.

3. tickets are ALWAYS a good idea. concerts, sporting events, anything that requires paid admission. experiences make great gifts because they become memories. find something they are dying to go to, get great seats, and set the whole thing up. one time my best friend, sydney, surprised me with floor tickets to jason aldean and luke bryan. BEST GIFT EVER. jason came out into the crowd and held my hand. i cried. you could even do it at a cool location and double the present as a weekend getaway. which brings me to...

4. weekend getaway! anyone would be so psyched to receive a card with the news that they get to go somewhere awesome. especially if you surprised them and planned it yourself with them in mind. pick a place that they love or a place that they've been dying to go to.

5. professional photoshoots make great gifts. whether you want to have pictures taken and surprise your loved one with the pictures, or you want to give them a gift certificate so that they can be a part of the photoshoot, too, both of these are special ideas. professional pictures capture memories of you looking your best and will last forever. also, they can be so much fun. you can get creative and have the photographer shooting you doing something awesome. if you're in the maryland area and you're looking for a photographer...check out MY SISTER! owner and photographer of Amy Brendel Photography. her link is below. post about her coming soon.

6. something better than receiving jewelry is receiving engraved jewelry. ask the jeweler to write something special for you. it will mean so much more knowing that it was personalized and not just pointed at through a glass window. another way to make jewelry special is to design it yourself. any girl would be stoked to have something one-of-a-kind.

7. a handwritten letter. seriously. a really, really nice one. not typed. not written on a piece of loose-leaf. a letter that you sat down and wrote with a pen on a pretty piece of paper and poured your heart onto. costs nothing but means everything.

8. making something by hand is a wonderful gift idea because it shows that you care about the person enough to devote your time, effort, and energy into giving them something one-of-a-kind. if you sew, make a blanket, if you paint, paint a canvas. if you make pottery, make some pottery. any of the above. get creative.

9. a spa gift certificate isn't the most original gift, but is such an appreciated one. facials, massages, pedicures, anything that can help your loved one relax at your expense is a great gift idea.

10. this one's very cheesy, but if you like a walk to remember, you'll appreciate it. the star that landon had named for jamie is not pretend! you can do this too! the link is below. i thought the telescope was an awesome gift, too...